Benedetto Natalini

Benedetto Natalini graduated in chemistry at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Perugia, Italy, in 1973. After the military service, his research activity started in 1976 at the Institute of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Perugia (Italy). From 1982 to 1992, the research activity has been made as a Researcher, and between 1992 and 2000, the research and didactic activity has been made as an Associate Professor of medicinal chemistry. In 1992, he spent three months as a Visiting Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany) within the group of Professor Hans-Dieter Höltje. Since November 2000, he works as a Full Professor of medicinal chemistry. Since November 2001, he is responsible for the didactic activities of the degrees in chemistry and technology of drugs and quality control. The research activity has been developed and is currently centred on the following lines. (a) Development of neuroprotective agents: design and synthesis of metabotropic glutamate receptor modulators, design and synthesis of kynurenine pathway modulators,
design and synthesis of new PARP inhibitors, new synthetic reactions employing diazocarbonyl compounds, and new chiral selectors in the ligand-exchange chromatography of amino acids: mechanistic aspects and applications. (b) Characterization of genomic and nongenomic signaling pathways of bile acids: design and synthesis of FXR nuclear receptor modulators of bile acids,
design and synthesis of TGR5 membrane receptor modulators of bile acids, and derived chromatographic indices in the evaluation of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance of bile acids.